Jim Goulart

In Thursday's start, Josh Butler will match up against none other than Stephen Strasburg. It was down to 76 degrees today, Josh. Wow, 25 of Zach Braddock's 32 pitches were strikes today. Although he was only 1-for-5 today, Taylor Green has the AFL's second longest current hit steak, ten games, dating back to last season. For everyone's sake, the first person to point out each day's game, if you could please paste in the box score link, thanks! Tuesday's 14-10 victory

The post 2009 All-Star Game minor league transaction thread was getting a bit unwieldy (its most recent relevant October moves linked here), so we begin the offseason transaction thread now. The Nashville site reports that 30-year-old utilityman Johnny Raburn has signed a minor league deal for 2010. We'll probably drop a note to our friends in Nashville to confirm, but it's puzzling to see OF Tike Redman's name listed as property for 2010, unless his late-season contract from indy ball specifically noted that it included 2010. Notice another outfielder signed under similar circumstances late, Jon Knott, is not included on the Sounds' list. Another puzzler is LHP Chase Wright. Wright has nine years of pro ball under his belt, and is no longer on the Brewer 40-man. You'd expect that Wright is free-agent eligible for 2010, unless he signed a unique minor league contract through next season after being removed from the 40-man. We'll see on those two...

Monday's Box Lorenzo Cain scores three times out of the leadoff spot despite an 0-for-3 day (two walks, stolen base). Mark Rogers two scoreless innings, pitching around a one-out triple -- Mesa Bottom 5th Pitcher Change: Mark Rogers replaces Jacob Rasner. P. J. Phillips strikes out swinging. Rene Tosoni triples (1) on a line drive to right fielder Casper Wells. Starlin Castro grounds out, third baseman Dayan Viciedo to first baseman Russell Mitchell. Hank Conger flies out to left fielder Dustin Ackley. Mesa Bottom 6th Chris Parmelee flies out to center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Josh Vitters pops out to shortstop Cale Iorg. Ryan Kalish singles on a line drive to center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Jose Iglesias grounds into a force out, third baseman Dayan Viciedo to second baseman Scott Sizemore. Ryan Kalish out at 2nd.

With the focus thus far on Venezuela, the Dominican Winter League is now underway, and several Brewer kids may take part. It's important to note that the team rosters in the DWL can be huge as players come and go during the course of the season. (The Tigres del Licey currently list 42 pitchers alone, but some of the other current rosters are significantly smaller.) If you go through all the rosters, you'll see quite a few 2009 Brewer farmhands, but several are due to become minor league free agents this month, so we'll point out the ones who will be under control for 2010 and beyond here. Pitching for Gigantes del Cibao will be the Timber Rattlers' Wily Peralta and Brevard's Amaury Rivas, two of the more prized prospects in the system. Don't look for either to throw many innings, but you'll see them in a box score every so often. RHP Rigoberto Almonte is listed on the Toros del Este roster. He'll be throwing to catcher Angel Salome, one of three catchers currently listed on the Toros' roster. Here's hoping Salome sees significant action, and excels, this winter. You'd think scouts will be in attendance to take notice, in case the Brewers are willing to put all their eggs in the Jonathan Lucroy basket for the right deal.

Javelinas win Saturday, 9-5. Zach Braddock inherits two runners in the 9th, needing one out to secure the win. A line drive single allowed one run to score, before a groundout wraps things up. Taylor Green has three singles and three walks in his first two AFL games, for a nifty OPS of 1.378, which is only 4th best on his team. No Rob Wooten after four games... Day off Sunday.

A Cole Gillespie AFL update

On Wednesday in the box score at the link in the prior post, Taylor Green reached three times on a single and two walks and Jonathan Lucroy was 0-for-4. Thursday's game is about to start, with Lorenzo Cain the only Brewer in the starting lineup, batting leadoff and in CF.

And so ends the rather uneventful six-year run of 2004 3rd rounder Josh Wahpepah. Would it pain folks to know that J.A. Happ and Adam Lind went in that same round, after the Brewers chose Josh? Yeah, I thought so... I guess now we know why McPhearson was able to sign with that new pro winter league in Florida. No surprises elsewhere based on age, performance, and mainly a combination of both. Travis Nevakshonoff came back in August to throw two scoreless innings after nearly two full years away. You have to figure he's still not healthy, considering he only turned 20 in July. Andrew Dunn posted good numbers, but he turned 23 in September, and never got a sniff of Helena at all. Drespling and Sollmann had never officially filed retirement paperwork, apparently, so this officially sets them free.

With all sincerity to Mr. Palmisano, there was and will be only one "Captain Lou". The greatest tag team champion manager of all time (16 champions, could someone list them all?). Thanks for the memories, Lou, you were truly an American original. http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/14/obit.albano/index.html

Omar Aguilar with a rough first AFL appearance for '09 (39 pitches, 22 strikes), a two-out, two-run soft liner bloated his line, but it was still a three-run outing.... Surprise Top 4th Pitcher Change: Omar Aguilar replaces Andrew Oliver. Brandon Laird singles on a line drive to center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Colin Curtis singles on a line drive to center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Brandon Laird to 3rd. Ruben Tejada grounds into a force out, pitcher Omar Aguilar to shortstop Cale Iorg. Brandon Laird scores. Colin Curtis out at 2nd. Ruben Tejada to 1st. With Daryl Jones batting, Ruben Tejada steals (1) 2nd base. Daryl Jones flies out to center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Jeff Bianchi pops out to second baseman Scott Sizemore. Surprise Top 5th Ike Davis grounds out, second baseman Scott Sizemore to first baseman Russell Mitchell. Bryan Anderson singles on a line drive to center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Austin Romine walks. Bryan Anderson to 2nd. Coaching visit to mound. Lucas Duda grounds out, first baseman Russell Mitchell to pitcher Omar Aguilar. Bryan Anderson to 3rd. Austin Romine to 2nd. Brandon Laird singles on a soft line drive to left fielder Andrew Lambo. Bryan Anderson scores. Austin Romine scores. Pitcher Change: Robbie Weinhardt replaces Omar Aguilar. Coaching visit to mound. Colin Curtis called out on strikes. Lorenzo Cain 1-for-3 batting leadoff with a double and a walk, fielding error in CF in an ugly eight-run 7th as well. Box Score / Game Log

Hernan Iribarren is leading off and in left field in a Venezuelan season opener tonight for the Cardenales de Lara. Iribarren is on the 40-man, but out of options. Soon-to-be free agent OF Freddy Parejo and C/OF Anderson de la Rosa are teammates of Hernan's. Another scheduled free agent, Adam Heether, is with Leones del Caracas, the same team Mat Gamel is joining in November. Adam's hitting cleanup tonight. IF Allixon Cequea is on the Caribes de Anzoategui roster. Mexico also begins its winter season tonight, no Brewers on those rosters as of this time. The Dominican and Puerto Rican Leagues begin later on, we'll keep you posted... I personally don't plan on providing daily updates, but will pop in from time to time.

Appreciate your comments, but that scenario had better be a worst-case. A real worst-case. It wouldn't surprise me to see Corporan sign again with the Brewers, but he's due to become a minor league free agent and his agent would be foolish to not wait and see who comes calling. Corporan will be 26 in January, and his defensive skills could be attractive to any number of organizations at the AAA level. Carlos is going to make a nice living in baseball, even if it's on negotiated six-figure AAA deals for the next ten years, even if he never sees the majors again.

McCalvy's Blog: Assistant GM Gord Ash conceded that it's difficult for teams to win with unproven players up the middle but insisted it can be done. He mentioned Lorenzo Cain and Logan Schafer as the team's top center field prospects and said Jonathan Lucroy was the team's top catching prospect. Interestingly, Angel Salome's name was not brought up.

Baseball America's Top 20 Florida State League Prospects List is out -- No Amaury Rivas, no Evan Anundsen... No Logan Schafer (!) -- what? Caleb Gindl's at 16, Mark Rogers at #20. Zach Braddock not enough innings and/or time there? Plus they focus on starters... Considering this is only a 12-team league, safe to say there was some hosing of the Manatees here. BA Subscribers can click here for a 3:00 PM Central Time chat Wednesday afternoon. Let them have it!

A look at some pretty spectacular numbers from Mike Adams

A look at some pretty spectacular numbers from Mike Adams

Let's be honest, how many of us would have tested positive for an intoxicant at his age? Totally an apples and oranges comment to make, a comment with no value in this context. The better question is to ask how many fellow minor league baseball players would test positive for intoxicants, whether rewarded with a million dollar bonus or a hundred dollar bonus, and the answer is much, much less than 1%.

LHP Chase Wright is slated to become a minor league free agent in mid-October.

Just a brief note, MMA trainer assisted Brett Lawrie in the past -- Another high profile athlete who has trained with Jackson in the past is Brett Lawrie, a catcher who was drafted in the first round, 16th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers at the 2008 MLB draft. "His dad approached me at the beginning of Brett's Grade 12 year and told me that Brett had a great chance in getting drafted to MLB," Jackson related. "I was also told that the main thing that he needed to work to improve was his power." For the next seven months, Jackson and Lawrie worked on improving the MLB prospect's strength in a specific way to improve his bat speed and hitting power. Lawrie ended up being the highest drafted Canadian positional player in MLB history. Jackson's baseball ties don't end with Lawrie. Wes Darvill and Brooklyn Foster are recent graduates of a baseball-specific off-season conditioning program that Jackson created and implemented, and both players were recently drafted to the MLB. Darvill was taken in the fifth round by the Chicago Cubs, while Foster was snatched up by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 43rd round. Full article

Catcher Jonathan Lucroy of the Huntsville Stars (Milwaukee Brewers AA) executing an amazing double play at 3rd base. I have played and /or followed baseball all of my life and I cannot remember seeing a catcher do this. Great heads up play and exceptional athleticism.

Adam McCalvy: GM Doug Melvin re-joined the team after a few days with the team's instructional league squad and spoke highly of D'Vontrey Richardson and Kentrail Davis, outfielders selected in the First-Year Player Draft earlier this season. Richardson in particular has flashed impressive power, said Melvin, who said the Florida State product could be a Reggie Sanders-type player down the road

Mat Gamel needs six AB's in the next five games to graduate off the P50. Alcides Escobar will be number one through the offseason. This interesting blog entry details how the cutoff is actually 131 AB's for Rookie of the Year -- player must EXCEED 130. This impacted the linked rookie of the year race. Along with turning 27 years old, we use the 131 AB and 50.1 IP Rookie of the Year qualifying cutoffs for Power 50 inclusion. The offseason P50 will be posted in late October, early November, we believe.

Link while active, text follows: "Going Deep:" Trip to podium long time coming for Canadian baseball team veterans By Shi Davidi (CP) TORONTO - The Canadian baseball team was due for a little bit of good fortune, especially after enduring such a tough run over the past 13 months. Five one-run losses at the Beijing Olympics. A one-run setback to the United States in an emotionally charged game at the World Baseball Classic. The stunning defeat to Italy that followed and knocked them out of that tournament. That's why Saturday's bronze-medal win at the IBAF World Cup in Italy felt so good. The timing and format of these events usually end up stacked against Canada, and the breaks never seem to go its way, making any success that much sweeter. "Every time it seems like we had a little bit of bad luck and for once it all clicked for us," said veteran outfielder Adam Stern of London, Ont. "Everyone position player-wise came up big at some point and everybody contributed. It wasn't relying on two, three guys like we have at times. "In the past it's been frustrating because we had the teams and we had the talent but we never fully capitalized on picking up one another." The medal is just the second ever for the senior national program, which also won bronze at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. And it was accomplished with a roster in transition from the mostly veteran base that had carried it to the Olympics. Contributions came from up and down the roster, although youngsters like right-hander Nick Bucci of Sarnia, Ont., and second baseman Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., both 19-year-old Milwaukee Brewers prospects, really stepped to the forefront. Outfielders Stern, Rene Tosoni of Coquitlam, B.C., and the Minnesota Twins, Tim Smith of Toronto and the Kansas City Royals, and Adam Loewen of Surrey, B.C., and the Toronto Blue Jays, plus third baseman Shawn Bowman of Port Moody, B.C., and the New York Mets were all forces at the plate throughout the tournament. Blue Jays prospect Trystan Magnusson of Vancouver led all relievers with three wins, while Jim Henderson of Calgary and the Brewers won two games and saved another. Right-handed starters Matt Kniginyzky of Oakville, Ont., and the Kansas City Royals and Brooks McNiven of Vernon, B.C., each won a pair of games, while Bucci, a senior team rookie, threw 14 1-3 scoreless innings. "Going out there people expected me to be nervous and intimidated," said Bucci. "But my intensity took over and I believe I can compete with anybody. And I can't say enough about our defence, pitching and hitting. We set the tone early and kept it going." The Canadians went 12-3 overall, including a 6-2 win over Puerto Rico for the bronze. They opened the second round with an 8-0 loss to the United States and a 5-3 setback to Australia, and things could have snowballed the wrong way. Back-to-back wins over Mexico and Japan steadied the ship, and started a run of eight straight victories that left them playing for third. "We've always seemed to come out on the short end of the stick, especially since Sternie and I joined the team in '03," said veteran starter Chris Begg of Uxbridge, Ont. "This time we went on a fabulous run. "Nick Bucci was unreal. Our bullpen was phenomenal, absolutely ridiculous. When those guys came in the game, the guys felt like we were going to win and we always ended up getting the big hit." The strong performance of the team's young players bodes well for the future, particularly because there were so many new pieces in this group. Stubby Clapp, for years the team's heart and soul, was absent for the first time in a decade, creating a leadership void that was filled by Stern and Begg. "We're going to get on Stubby and tell him he's going from Canadian baseball icon to curse," joked Begg. "Stern took that role over, he's loud and outspoken, and has the experience to back it up." Said Stern: "There was a different feel without Stubby here. By process of elimination I ended up stepping in. I accept that role but it's a bit weird being the older guy after being on the other side of. But these guys were great." The bronze is also important for Baseball Canada's bottom line, as the government funding formula is partially based on international results.

Swine flu?I know you meant no real harm, but at some point this won't automatically be an off-hand remark, as the Boston Globe and other news organizations remind us today. So hopefully, no, not N1H1 for Hall.

From John Manuel's Baseball America recap: Australia finished fifth, beating the Netherlands 4-1. Lefthander David Welch (Brewers) finished a brilliant tournament with a victory. Welch threw 24 innings, gave up just three earned runs and struck out 27.